Holy marzipan, Batman! The scent of sweet almond just takes over here. Normally, I don’t enjoy that but in this hot cup, I am really liking it. In taste, it is not as potent but instead underlies a comforting citrusy orange burst, providing a silky sweet undertone to provide balance. The whole tea reminds me of Christmas and yet feels new and exciting.
I made this iced as well and I don’t enjoy it as much as the hot tea. The orange flavoring starts off just as nice as it is in the hot cup but becomes bitter. That combines with the marzipan and causes it to taste more processed and stale. It makes the whole drink astringent.
This tea took me by surprise. The strong almond scent had me anticipating the worst but this tea is comforting and homey while also being sweet and desserty. It is a delightful treat that is definitely worth a try.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Tea & Tins
Description
Loose leaf green tea: a festive combination of sweet almond and refreshing orange invokes the warm times of holiday season.
Ingredients: green tea, orange slices, planed almonds, flavoring, pink peppercorns, safflower.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Peach Crostata from a Quarter to Tea
What is a crostata? Apparently, it is a type of tart or pie, or it might even include a crumble-like dessert. Either way, imagine buttery crust, sugar and spice, and plenty of fruit. This tea blend looks to capture the the essence of a peach crostata, with sweet stone fruit and warm pastry.
The tea leaves are yunnan black tea, but they were so tightly rolled I almost mistook them for oolong leaves. Brewing this blend, the tea is dark and rich and brews up quickly. Both the dry leaves and the hot tea are very fragrant with natural peach flavor.
When taking my first sip, my nose is full of fruity peach, but the brew is much more robust. The taste of the tea has more roasty, caramel notes than it does fruit, and its boldness overshadows the peach. The tea is smooth at first, finishing with a tart, mineral dryness in the aftertaste. It’s possible the boldness of the tea has to do with my brewing techniques, so I would brew this a little cooler and shorter next time. I found that adding milk helped make the brew more gentle, which brought out the best of the peach notes.
Even if this wasn’t my favorite tea lately, I’ve had other blend from a Quarter to Tea that I absolutely loved, like their Carrot Cake or Peeps Krispies genmai cha teas. Give any of their flavors a try for a quality brew.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: A Quarter to Tea
Description:
A take on a late medieval version of a peach crostata, with warming spices and a rich peach flavor.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
A Honeybush Cookie Dessert Tea. . . #52Teas
Being honest, i’m scared of molasses. I use it when i’m baking gingerbread, but I just refuse to eat it on its own. I don’t know how some people just pour it over their pancakes, I feel like it smells salty and weird and it really just freaks me out. So when I saw the name of this blend I totally held off on trying it. Although, the blend did smell like spice cookies….so I decided to give it a try anyways.
I could really smell the honeybush once this tea was steeped. I absolutely love honeybush and I actually tend to favor it over rooibos. I feel like it is so much sweeter and less woodsy tasting. Its a bit hard to describe but once you’ve tried it a few times, you’ll be able to point it out without even knowing that its in the tea. The sweet/honey/nutty flavor of the honeybush really blended well with the spices and cookie flavor in this tea. I can’t really speak on how accurate the molasses flavor in here is because I’ve never actually tasted molasses on its own, only in cookies or gingerbread.
I do know, however, that the flavor of honeybush was very strong here, and the spices and cookie/vanilla flavor (and the molasses) was very much in the background. That’s not to say that this wasn’t still enjoyable, because it was. I just think that the honeybush was the most dominant flavor here. I added a little agave, and then a little more, and I definitely think that that helped bring out the cookie flavor and spices flavor a bit.
Either way, if you like honeybush I think that you would find it difficult to not enjoy this blend. I do wish the spice cookie flavor was a little stronger but this was still a yummy blend.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This blend is no longer available but click below for blends that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Winter Spice Tea from Sunshine Cottage. . . .
YUM! I literally said that out loud the first time I sipped on Winter Spice Tea from Sunshine Cottage. My second reaction was the same as the first…YUM!
Upon opening the package I was assuming this would be comparable to a chai but it was much more thought out than that.
Orange, cranberry, cinnamon and cloves all add flavor to this finger warming, nose thawing winter spice blend are Joan’s words – from Sunshine Cottage – not mine but I would totally claim them as my own if I could because I totally agree with them!
Sunshine Cottage states on their Etsy Shop that Winter Spice Tea is full of all the delights of the season, hold a steaming cup of this tea, breath in deeply and relax, you’ll be filled with the spirit of the season – of course, adding a big splash of brandy or rum to your cup will lift your spirits even quicker!
I’ll have to ask Sororitea Sister-CuppaGeek- if she has tried this yet! I know she went thru a phase of mixing tea with ‘adult beverages’ for an extra special tea steeping experience!
Regardless I am totally LOVING this straight-up…as-is…I wouldn’t change a thing!
Sure – you can taste the Cinnamon up against the medium strength black tea base and it’s scrumptious and warming. But the real gems of this blend of flavors are the cranberry and orange duo! Both are FAB!
Even tho this is a Winter Spice Tea – I wouldn’t mind it any time of the year! The flavor and aroma are wonderful! I’m a fan, indeedy!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Sunshine Cottage
Description
Orange, cranberry, cinnamon and cloves all add flavor to this finger warming, nose thawing winter spice blend. Full of all the delights of the season, hold a steaming cup of this tea, breath in deeply and relax, you’ll be filled with the spirit of the season – of course, adding a big splash of brandy or rum to your cup will lift your spirits even quicker!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Organic Masala Chai from Hope & Glory. . .
Hope & Glory is a new company to me but this was a lovely introduction to their teas. While exploring their site, I noticed they had an interesting assortment of tea collections which see the teas sorted by certain characteristics. This particular tea is part of the Rajah Collection which is Hope & Glory’s collection of special and unique teas.
In keeping with the idea of “special and unique” I decided to do something new and different when I prepped this tea. I used a glass of skim milk and about 2-3 teaspoons of tea and heated it over the stove, bringing the milk to a boil and then dropping the heat and letting it simmer for 10 minutes. Alright, so maybe it isn’t that innovative a brewing technique, especially for a chai, but this method was new and different for me.
As I stood at the stove whisking away for the entire 15 minute process, all I could think was “this better be worth it” and now that I am sipping away at the tea I made, I think I can say it was. Normally I brew chai the same way I would a latte, by steeping it in boiled water and topping it with steamed milk. This honestly brought everything together much more harmoniously. As someone who doesn’t love chai, this is a drink I am really enjoying.
What stands out to me is the ginger. It isn’t contributing heat but there is a huge punch of ginger flavor that is providing an awesome contrast to the more sweeter flavors here such as the milk, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The cloves are also front and center, contributing another flavor punch while still feeling as though it mixes perfectly with the rest of the ingredients. Creamy and delightful, this tea has a whole lot going for it. As someone who finds spices in chai are often way off balance, this one is really doing it for me. Now I am wondering if that is the tea or the prep method? Either way I am glad I have some more of this sample left so I can have this again. It’s the perfect spicy/sweet treat to keep warm with on the cold evenings ahead.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Hope & Glory
Description
A full-bodied blend of organic Ceylon black tea and spices, Masala Chai derives from the Hindi literally meaning ‘mixed-spice tea’. Spices such as cardamom and cinnamon have been expertly blended to give a warming, rich blend of flavours and a sweet aroma.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!